Russo-Ukraine War: The advance of Russian forces on Kyiv has slowed, but there are reports that they have captured Balaklia, a nearby city.
The British Defense Ministry said in an intelligence update this morning that Russia had made little progress in its efforts to capture major Ukrainian cities (besides Kherson) or its march on the capital Kyiv in the past 72 hours. The British military said Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol were all under Ukrainian control, despite significant pressure from Russian forces.
"The main body of the large Russian column advancing on Kyiv is more than 30 km from the city center, delayed by fierce Ukrainian resistance, mechanical breakdowns and crowds," British intelligence was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
"The column has made very little progress in three days."
"...(and) Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol remain in Ukrainian hands despite heavy Russian shelling. Some Russian forces have entered Kherson but the military situation is unclear."
Earlier today the mayor of Kherson, Igor Kolyakhev, claimed that Russian forces had entered the city, which is in southern Ukraine and on the Black Sea coast.
However, Kolykhev's statement was denied by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky's office, which said fighting was still going on. A video shared by a minister this week shows deadly missile attacks on a stately old building.
Kherson, a city of 300,000, is strategically located on the banks of the Dnieper River, where it flows into the Black Sea.
If Russian troops capture the city, they could open the water canal and restore water supplies to the Crimean peninsula they occupied in 2014.
If Kherson has fallen, it suggests that Russia's offensive in Ukraine's hard-to-defend coastal plain is gaining ground, even if the advance on Kyiv has stalled.
This - along with changes in Russia's artillery and air strikes on urban centers - has generated optimism over Ukraine's ability to resist a vast superior power.
Satellite images revealed a frightening sight last week - a 17-mile-long convoy of Russian military vehicles was moving inexorably towards the capital, Kyiv.
Reuters news agency reported that the convoy included armored vehicles, tanks, artillery and logistics support vehicles.
Convoy progress on Kyiv has slowed, but there are reports that Russia has taken control of Balaklia, a town near the city. Russia may not have reached Kyiv yet, but for the past few days, air strike alerts have been going on in the city.
Russian military today launched fresh attacks on Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, with reports targeting hospitals and residential areas.
On Wednesday, emergency services in the city said four people had died and nine were injured. After this Russia dropped the paratroopers in the city.
Also last week Russia has captured the city of Melitopol, and is besieging and bombing Mariupol in the country's breakaway Donetsk region.
Fighting in Ukraine is now in its seventh day and is showing no signs of stopping or slowing down, despite several harsh economic sanctions against Russia and a UN resolution passed last night.
The death toll is unknown.
Ukraine claims it has killed thousands of Russian soldiers and that hundreds, including civilians, have been killed on their side. Russia, which has so far remained silent on the subject, indicated today that 498 of its soldiers have been killed so far.
The fighting has also created a major refugee crisis, with the United Nations estimating that more than a million people have already fled the border crossing into neighboring countries.
The two sides met earlier this week in the Belarusian city of Gomel for peace talks. The second round was to take place on Wednesday, but it failed after Ukraine demanded that Russia stop bombing its cities first.